All gifts from the Engineering Gift Guide Reviews and sorted by age.
For infants and toddlers, this book is a wonderful introduction to the concepts of engineers and engineering for an inquisitive child that has a whole life ahead of them to explore their interests.
For infants and toddlers, this book introduces children to different science and engineering disciplines by comparing them to activities that Baby enjoys.
Magicube Recycled Shapes (13 pcs) explores simple, open-ended play in a continuously satisfying way, allowing users to quickly and easily build whatever they want.
3D Arranging Creative Stones, by Haba, is a gift for toddlers and preschool-aged children to develop design and spatial reasoning skills.
1-2-3 Build It! Robot Factory, by Learning Resources, is a cute design-your-own robot building kit for children ages 2-6.
This Take Apart Cement Truck Toy by Kididdo is a fantastic introduction to reverse engineering for young children.
This series of take-apart toys by Kididdo is a great way to simulate the process of reverse engineering in a controlled environment.
Codie The Coder doll by Surprise Powerz is a great gift that inspires young girls to strive for STEM careers. Representation is incredibly important to see at a young age, and this doll shows that anyone can be an engineer. Codie not only shows young girls of color that they can be a coder just like her, but the doll uses vocal prompts to explain basic coding concepts in an age appropriate way. The doll encourages the user to solve logical puzzles with basic programming concepts. This toy promotes computational thinking, logical thinking, and concepts of engineering communication for children as young as two years old. ― Daisy Coble, Purdue Reviewer
3D Arranging Game Varius, by Haba USA, is a colorful, sturdy building block kit designed for children three and up. Item may be purchased from product website.
Four by Four Wooden Building Blocks, by Haba, is a 2D or 3D design building game for ages 3+ that includes 16 wooden blocks in 4 different sizes and 3 different shapes that can be stacked in various conformations to create structures either from the manual or from the user's imagination.
Design & Build Engineering Centers, by Lakeshore Learning, is an engaging engineering set for use in classroom settings for ages 3-6. Item may be purchased from product website.
This magnetic construction toy for children ages 3 and up has been created in many variations.
Geomags are magnetic construction toys for children ages 3 and up. This specific line of toys features glow-in-the-dark magnetic rods made of recycled plastic that children can use to build any creation they can imagine.
This counting toy for children ages 3 and up is designed in conjunction with the children’s TV show Numberblocks (Available on Netflix and other streaming platforms).
This visual counting set by hand2mind, designed for ages 3 and up, aligns with storylines from the children’s TV show Numberblocks.
This number-counting toy by Hand2mind not only teaches kids how to count but also gives users a chance to practice various other concepts.
Super Cityscape Transport Bucket Set is a toy that allows a user’s creativity to shine while quietly teaching foundational engineering skills.
This hands-on gear kit by Thames and Kosmos is the perfect introduction to using and understanding gears, an integral part of mechanics.
Magicube Recycled Shapes (15 pcs) is a fantastic gift that teaches engineering design thinking through discussions of recycling, as well as opportunities to practice self-guided play and creative thinking.
This magnetic shape set from Magformers has huge potential for the number of pieces provided. Aimed at an age range of three and older, young children will learn the basics of fitting pieces of varying shapes and sizes together to make colorful designs of their very own.
This set of magnetic building shapes comes with even more shape options than its 19-piece counterpart, “STEM Builder 19 Piece Set”.
Catapult Shooters by Butterfly Edufields is a hands-on design challenge for ages 3+ that requires the user to build their own catapult toy.
This is a cute story about a girl named Bina who decides to make bracelets as gifts for her brothers for the Hindu holiday Raksha Bandhan.
This book tells the story of a girl named Maxine and her friend Leo who are determined to design their perfect garden.
The Spin Plus 6 Piece Set by Magformers presents an effortless way for a child to hone their spatial reasoning and pattern recognition abilities while accessing their creative side. While the Spin Plus set appears to simply be a fidget spinner at first glance, the magnetic construction parts that come in the box can attach to each other or the fidget spinner to allow for many different designs and patterns to be created. Users can simply stack varying colors onto the fidget spinner to achieve different spinning visuals, or create three dimensional shapes with the spinner and pieces fixed on a surface. Overall, the Spin Plus Set is a fantastic start to getting children to think creatively and critically about the processes of design. ― Jaden Hernandez, Purdue Reviewer
The Carnival Plus Set by Magformers LLC takes all of the great original aspects of Magformers and adds new elements into the mix with parts that spin and swing. Have fun creating your own designs while testing and improving your solutions, or following tutorials provided in the box. Build creative designs that spin in different orientations, such as ferris wheels and carousels. Have fun practicing spatial reasoning, fine motor skills, and pattern recognition while learning how magnets and gravity can drive motion. ― Daisy Coble, Purdue Reviewer
If you or a loved one is looking for a gift that promotes design, mathematical knowledge, and problem solving skills, look no further than the Challenger 30 Piece Set from Magformers LLC! With the large assortment of pieces and helpful starting guide, users are empowered to practice creativity and unstructured play. Add onto or begin your Magformers' collection today with the Challenger 30 Piece Set. ― Erica Corbeels, Purdue Reviewer
Although the fourteen pieces in Magformers’ Challenger 14 Piece Set may not seem like a lot, the possibilities for construction are endless with the set’s intuitive building scheme. This set is a great way for children to practice their spatial reasoning, pattern recognition, and even mathematical skills as they keep track of the various shapes and colors of Magformers’ signature neon, magnetic parts. While the set itself encourages free-form creation, an idea booklet also is included in case children run out of ideas, or don’t know where to start. The Challenger 14 Piece Set is one of the many Magformers’ products that you can add to your collection that allow children to harness their creativity while practicing engineering skills. ― Jaden Hernandez, Purdue Reviewer
Learning to count and developing basic pattern recognition are vital skills to gain for any young child. The Tactile Turtles Math Activity Set by hand2mind provides a fun and hands-on experience that develops these skills. The included turtle-shaped pieces have many different patterns, sizes, and colors that can be sorted in many different ways by themselves. This toy also comes with different activity boards which can encourage the user to find different groupings and patterns between the turtles. With the guidance of a trusted adult, young children can start making connections between numbers and the different patterns they find. ― Daisy Coble, Purdue Reviewer
Teaching abstract concepts like measuring can be a challenge. Why not make it fun? With the Reel Big Catch Game by Educational Insights, let your child develop math and science skills while having a blast. With easy-to-understand instructions and a variety of measuring tapes that build in complexity, learning about measurements becomes an engaging activity the entire family can enjoy. ― Erica Corbeels, Purdue Reviewer
With our world becoming more and more reliant on computers, give a child you love a head start with KIBO 15 STEAM Robot by Kinderlab Robotics Inc. KIBO is a screenless toy that uses infrared scanners and bar codes on physical blocks to code a robot that can listen for noise, move, and even put on a light show. Teaching basic sensor use and block programming to children as young as four, KIBO is a fantastic head start to programming that will grow with the children in your life. Practice coding skills, iterative design, and problem-solving with KIBO. ― Erica Corbeels, Purdue Reviewer
Backyard Adventure, by Magformers, is a magnetic building set intended for children 3+.
Penguin Cube House, by Magformers, is a magnetic building kit intended for children 3+. Item may be purchased from product website.
Smart Set, by Magformers, is a colorful magnetic construction set intended for ages 3+.
Mochi Robotics Kit, by My Creativity Box, is a cute and interactive coding set that is recommended for ages 3-9.
STEM Apple Factory, by Skoolzy, is an open-ended design toy for children ages 3-6.
Connect a Straw Structures Construction Kit, by Skoolz, is a construction-based hands-on kit that comes with a large number of plastic straws in two sizes, plastic connectors, and a picture guide providing inspiration for possible projects that can be done with the straws.
Design & Play STEAM Cars Kit, by Lakeshore Learning, is an excellent kit to engage children in STEAM concepts in a fun and exciting way! Item may be purchased from product website.
Remote-Control Gear-Bot, by Lakeshore Learning, in an interactive and controllable robot intended for ages 4-10. Item may be purchased from product website.
Survive the Quake Engineering Kit, by Lakeshore Learning, is a game where children build structures out of provided blocks in hopes that the structure is strong enough to withstand different intensities of simulated earthquakes. Item may be purchased from product website.
Coding Critters: Go-Pets! by Learning Resources is an introductory coding puzzle game for ages 4+.
CycleGears, by Learning Resources, is a motorcycle construction set in the Gears! Gears! Gears! product line for ages 4+. Item may be purchased from product website.
Coding Critters MagiCoders: Blazer the Dragon, by Learning Resources, is a fun and interactive coding toy that is intended for ages 4+.
This building toy by Hape includes various sizes of colored bamboo sticks and two types of flexible connectors that can be combined in various ways.
This applied coding toy allows young kids to strengthen coding and problem-solving skills through complex storylines to help vehicle characters save their town.
This track-building set by Brackitz is a fun way to introduce design skills to young children.
Abby and her brother Miko set out on their quest to create a folding machine to help their mother with the laundry. Book (Signed!) can be purchased on the author's website.
Many adults and even engineers struggle to understand programming. However, the book How to Explain Coding to a Grown-Up by Ruth Spiro makes complicated programming topics accessible through the lens of a child explaining coding to an adult. Functions are summarized by playing on a playset, while algorithm flowcharts are interspersed among the beautiful illustrations. Driving home core engineering competencies of computational thinking, logical thinking, and problem-solving, this beautifully written and illustrated book will be fun and informative for children and adults alike. ― A.R. Miller, Purdue Reviewer
Learning Resources’ Space Rover Deluxe Coding Activity Set takes the tall task of learning about coding and simplifies it into one intuitive programming rover for children to tinker with. In just a few button presses, users will have their pre-built space rover traversing tiles to eventually reach a marked goal dictated by the twenty coding challenges included in the set. Although simple in execution (that’s not to say it’s easy), this toy presents a healthy challenge for young minds, forcing them to plan out their solutions, iterate frequently, and recognize patterns as their rover inches closer and closer to the goal. This easy-to-use gift is a perfect opportunity to get children excited about coding. ― Jaden Hernandez, Purdue Reviewer
Coding Critters Magicoders: Skye the Unicorn, by Learning Resources, is a fun and interactive toy for ages 4+ that introduces users to the basics of programming.
